EU wants to improve trade relations with US but no negotiations yet

The EU's Trade Commissioner said on Wednesday that the bloc was open to talks with the United States on industrial goods tariffs but that Washington had not yet shown any serious interest.

Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said she welcomed U.S. Trade Representative's office statement on Tuesday that Washington intends to open trade talks with the European Union and the United Kingdom.

"We have not started negotiating yet," she told reporters. "We are prepared to start the scoping exercise on a limited agreement focus on industrial goods ... so far the U.S. has not shown any big interest."